Don't Ever Look Back
by WickedForGood13
Summary: Who does Kurt go to when Karofsky threatens him? Blaine, of course. WARNING: Spoilers up to "The Substitute," as well as boy/boy kissing.


Once again, Kurt was left standing speechless in the hallway.

Karofsky had just threatened to kill him if he told anyone about the kiss.

Kurt now feared for his life.

_Oh, god,_ he thought. _What should I do? What can I do? If I go to anyone, he'll kill me._

There was only one option left—he had to involve Blaine yet again. Blaine—who had already been there for him more than once, who had been his rock, the one he could rely on to be there for him when the going got rough.

Ducking into a deserted classroom, Kurt pulled out his phone and dialed Blaine, who he knew would be on break at that time.

At the sound of Blaine's melodic voice, Kurt broke down.

"Kurt? What's wrong? Talk to me. Come on. Tell me what's wrong," urged Blaine, distressed at hearing his friend's uncontrollable cries.

All Kurt could do was sob and blubber. It was amazing how Karofsky could reduce Kurt to tears so easily.

"He…threatened…to kill me…if I told…," Kurt managed to choke through his sobs.

Kurt heard the longest string of cuss words issue from Blaine's mouth, at a high volume too, before he came back to the phone and said, "I'm on my way. Meet me out front. Stay strong."

As a final thought before hanging up, Blaine whispered, almost hoping that Kurt wouldn't hear, "I love you."

But Kurt _had_ heard, and that admission alone gave him the strength and the courage to go out into the hallway and face his tormentors on the way to the front of the school to meet Blaine.

As soon as Blaine had hung up the phone, he was racing for his car, running so fast that he was a blur to those he passed.

He jumped in and sped off, arriving at McKinley in record time.

Kurt had been pacing up and down the entire time, worried that Karofsky would come after him before Blaine could get there. If only Blaine could get there in time, Kurt knew that Blaine would protect him.

Blaine hurriedly parked and threw open the car door. He met Kurt halfway and drew the young boy into his arms.

His grip was tight, but his arms felt so right wrapped around Kurt, who melted at his touch, sniffling and sobbing into Blaine's chest.

Blaine held Kurt all the tighter, promising that he would never let go. He would always be there for Kurt.

Finally, Kurt's sobs quieted and Blaine managed to pull away, fully taking in Kurt's appearance. It was obvious that Kurt had been crying. His eyes were red and puffy. His skin was a pale, almost deathly, shade of white, accentuating the red rims around his eyes. He was shaking uncontrollably, a situation that Blaine was quick to bring in hand.

"Okay, Kurt. I need you to calm down for me. Can you do that? Take slow, deep breaths. You're alright. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Kurt's senses were clouded. All he knew was that Blaine's arms were around him. Through his foggy vision, though, he sensed Blaine calling to him, instructing him how to breathe. Kurt came back to reality, sucking in air that he hadn't realized he needed. He kept his head buried in Blaine's chest, however, where he felt safe and secure, with the added protection of Blaine's arms still wrapped tightly around him.

"Thank you," he whispered, voice hoarse from crying.

"Anytime. You know that, right? I'm here for you, anytime, anywhere. Doesn't matter if it's 2am—if you need to talk, I'm here for you. If I'm sunbathing on a beach in Hawaii and you're in trouble, I'll catch the first plane home or start swimming."

At that, Kurt gave a watery laugh, daring to finally look up at Blaine.

"I…just…thanks," Kurt's voice was overcome with emotion.

"Now, Kurt. The Karofsky situation has gotten even more serious. He's actually threatened you. You need to report it. I know he said he'd kill you if you told, but if you have someone in authority on your side, there's nothing Karofsky will be able to do. Why don't I take you home and we can tell your dad. How's that sound?"

Kurt could only nod. He also didn't miss the fact that Blaine had said "we." It made Kurt insanely happy that Blaine wanted to be involved in his life.

Kurt had, of course, told his father about the kiss. Burt had been furious but had agreed not to do anything, at least for the moment. Now, however, was the time for action.

Blaine drove Kurt home, helping him out of the car when his legs proved too unstable to walk on. They let themselves in and went in search of his dad. They didn't have to look very far. Burt was sitting on the couch watching a football game.

He looked up when Kurt and Blaine both walked in the room. From the looks on their faces, Burt could tell that something serious had happened. He turned off the TV and gave his full attention to the two boys.

"What are you doing home in the middle of the day, Kurt?" he asked, deciding to start with the most basic question, hoping that would lead to the underlying problem.

"Dad," Kurt began in a shaky voice, and Burt suddenly realized that Kurt had been crying. "Something's happened. Something to do with Karofsky."

"What's he done now? Has he tried to kiss you again?"

"No, Dad," said Kurt, trying to keep his dad from getting worked up and over excited. Kurt feared a relapse of his dad's heart attack. "Today, I was standing by my locker and Karofsky came up and asked me if I'd told anyone about my kissing him."

"That's a lot of nonsense. He kissed you," Burt exclaimed.

"That's what I said. I told him that I understood how confused he must be feeling and that, therefore, I hadn't told anyone."

At this point, Kurt broke down sobbing again. Burt made to reach for him, but Blaine was faster, as he was standing right next to Kurt, offering him his support.

Blaine took the boy in his arms, pulling Kurt's head to his chest, in an attempt to erase the memories of what Karofsky had said and done from Kurt's mind.

When Kurt remained in no condition to continue, Blaine said, "It was after Kurt said that he hadn't told anyone that Karofsky threatened your son, saying that if Kurt told anyone about the kiss, he would kill him."

It was with a great deal of restraint that all in the room handled the next few minutes.

Kurt continued quietly crying into Blaine's chest. Blaine surprised himself at how impassively he was able to speak of Karofsky's threat. Burt did his best to not overreact—he knew Kurt feared another heart attack and he wanted to put his son at ease that he was taking things slowly.

"I'm calling the police," Burt informed the two boys standing in front of him.

Blaine, spying the phone lying nearby, reached for it and handed it to Burt.

"Thank you," he said, and Blaine could tell that he wasn't referring to just the phone. Burt was trying to thank Blaine for all he had done for Kurt since coming into his son's life.

Blaine nodded to show that he understood.

The rest of the day was a blur. The police were informed about the threat against Kurt and Karofsky was apprehended. At the same time, Burt began the process of transferring Kurt to Dalton. He could tell that Kurt and Blaine belonged together and he wanted to do his part to see that happen.

Blaine had made a huge impact on Kurt, Burt could tell. Because of Blaine, Kurt now had someone to go to with his problems, as Blaine had been in the exact same position as Kurt at one point. With Karofsky's threat against Kurt, and the zero-tolerance policy that Dalton enforced, Burt realized that Dalton was the best place for Kurt, as he would be surrounded by friends and appreciated for who he was. Kurt would no longer have to fear being slushied or shoved into lockers. He could be himself without consequences.

After the excitement of Karofsky's arrest and Kurt's successful transfer to Dalton, Kurt and Blaine were alone in Kurt's room. Blaine was still holding Kurt in his arms—he'd flat out refused to let go, even when officers were questioning Kurt.

They were lying on Kurt's bed, not talking, simply content to be in each other's arms, when Kurt broke the silence.

"I know I've probably said this more than enough, but I wanted to thank you again for dropping everything and coming to be with me. You've gone above and beyond what friends should be expected to do for each other, especially considering we haven't known each other for very long. You've already been there to help me up when I've fallen more than once. And for that, I'm thankful."

"And I'm thankful for you, Kurt. You're a wonderful person—intelligent, witty, and incredibly talented. I'm so blessed to be your friend."

"Is that all we are—friends?" Kurt dared to ask, remembering Blaine's final comment before he'd hung up the phone.

"Why do you ask?" asked Blaine, a sinking suspicion lurking in the back of his mind.

"Before you hung up the phone, I heard you say, "I love you." it gave me the strength and the courage to go out in the hallway and face my tormentors, knowing full well that Karofsky could be waiting for me. Did you mean it? Do you love me?"

Blaine sat Kurt up so that they were facing each other.

"Yes, Kurt. It's true. I do love you. When I heard what Karofksy said, what he'd threatened to do, my mind went crazy, planning all sorts of things that would protect you from him. I'd be willing to lay down my life for you, Kurt. So, yes, to answer your question—I do love you."

Kurt wanted to kiss Blaine. Yet, he was unsure of how to proceed. His one experience with kissing a boy had been Karofsky, who had forced himself on Kurt. Kurt now looked frantically at Blaine, trying to convey to him with his eyes what he wanted to do. Luckily, Blaine caught on, as he leaned forward and captured Kurt's lips with his.

"I love you too, Blaine," whispered Kurt, who eagerly reached for the back of Blaine's head, tangling his hands in Blaine's hair and pulling him back down on top of him.

They lay there kissing for some time, yet eventually succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep, body parts tangled together.

It had been a difficult journey to reach the point they were now at, but Kurt and Blaine were finally at peace with themselves and with each other. And no one was ever going to bring them down again.


End file.
